Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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53. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to develop a new national school to cater for the educational needs of the growing population of River Valley, Rathingle and Boroimhe, west Swords, County Dublin. [24470/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. The GIS uses data from a range of sources, including the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and my Department's own databases. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post-primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed. 

My Department is aware that there have been some enrolment issues in the Swords school planning area for September 2017.  In that context my Department is in ongoing direct contact with primary schools in the area in respect of their junior infant capacity. 

While I understand that the enrolment situation may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice, my Department’s main responsibility is to ensure that the existing schools in the area can, between them, cater for the demand for Junior Infant places in September 2017.

My Department is also currently reviewing the demographic data for this area with regard to future needs.  This review takes account of updated data from CSO, enrolment and child benefit data and also the impact of existing and planned capacity increases to schools in these areas.